Seven Korean exchange students learning a new language

Brett Johnstun took it for granted until he started to play for the Mount Vernon soccer team. Something as simple and basic as communicating with teammates became a tough task. “The hardest [thing about our team] would have to be still just communication,” Johnstun said. “If there’s someone behind them [in a game], they don’t understand 100 percent. You have to scream at the top of your lungs just to call for the ball.” This year, there are seven Korean exchange students on the Patriots boys’ soccer team. It’s nothing new. Mount Vernon has always had a high number of exchange students because the private school has a good English as a second language (ESL) program.